Your Community Gateway has been launched to provide access to a wide range of voluntary sector support and services.

Cornwall's charities and community groups have combined forces to support people through a challenging winter.

In response to increasing living costs and pressures across the health and care system in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, a unique partnership of more than 50 voluntary organisations has been working with NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board to offer ongoing support to communities across the Duchy. 

The Community Gateway is a dedicated telephone line available for everyone and provides access to a wide range of professional voluntary sector support and services.

It will provide a ‘gateway to independence’, working with people to identify their needs and put appropriate packages of support in place. The Gateway aims to create personalised plans that prevent hospital admissions, reduce social isolation, and improve wellbeing. It will also connect people to mental health support, community activities and wider winter support including hot food and warm spaces. 

People can access the Gateway via a dedicated telephone line (01872 266383), and email address: [email protected] to speak to trained staff and find local support that’s right for them. In addition, staff members in the community will be available to offer one-to-one and group support.

The Gateway is open from 8 am to 8 pm, seven days a week, 365 days a year – including Christmas day.

A network of more than 35 community hubs will be offering winter support for people of all ages, such as drop-in sessions on energy saving and debt advice, as well as a warm place to go and talk to someone or take part in activities, including craft and cookery classes. Free hot drinks and refreshments will also be on offer in most spaces.

As well as offering a lifeline for members of the community, the Gateway will also offer a single point of access to voluntary sector support for people arranging support on behalf of others such as GPs, other healthcare professionals and community groups. 

Since the service launched in November 2022, Felix* is just one of the hundreds of individuals who have been supported via the Community Gateway, which is already having an impact on people living in Cornwall. 

Felix was referred to the Gateway by Cornwall Partnership NHS Foundation Trust which was deeply concerned about Felix’s wellbeing and general health. Felix has a debilitating health condition and had also just been admitted to West Cornwall hospital following injuries from a severe fall in his home. 

Recently bereaved with family living upcountry, Felix’s only social interaction was with a cleaner who attends his home once a week. 

The Gateway listened to Felix and supported him to reduce his risk of falls and make him feel safer and more comfortable at home. With support from a community nurse, Felix gained enough confidence to change his own catheter and record the results himself. 

He was connected to mental health support through The Chaos Group and Pentreath. He was also connected to Age UK Cornwall's Falmouth Community Hub which provides a safe, warm space where he can meet others and linked to a service that would provide Felix with healthy regular hot meals. 

Felix said:

“I can’t believe how much help you have given me and how hard you have worked to support me. At every stage, I feel listened to and more connected. Thank you.”

 

You can Read Felix’s full story on this link | Felix's Story - A Community Gateway Case Study (ageuk.org.uk)

Emma Rowse, CEO of Cornwall Voluntary Sector Forum (VSF), said:

“It’s astonishing to see how quickly the voluntary sector has come together and created a single point of access for those who may need support this winter.

“Our voluntary sector partners across Cornwall are working collaboratively to bring the best of their skills, expertise and support to the community gateway and hubs network. It’s by working together that we will be able to have the best conversations about what matters to people and families and build a support network around them.”

Andy Brelsford, Support & Development Manager, at Volunteer Cornwall, said: 

“Both the Gateway and the Community Hubs provide a new way people can give their time to support the place where they live rather than a specific charity or cause. Just like in Covid, the people of Cornwall are putting their hands up to offer to help those in need in their community.”