Wakefieldcan

Community Anchor Network

Wakefield District’s Community Anchor Network (CAN) brings together like-minded organisations that meet the needs of their local community.

Community Anchors are trusted, established and community-based, set up locally by the community themselves. Many have local volunteers who also access some of the services and wide range of activities on offer.

Community Anchors meet the needs of their local community by delivering activities, services and a host base for other groups and services including Citizens Advice and Leeds Credit Union. This means that local residents can easily access all sorts of support in one place - from accessing food pantries to finding friendship.

Community Anchors are dynamic, evolving and responsive to the changing circumstances and needs of communities.

Key Features of an Anchor

Locally rooted - organisations that operate within, and serve, a specific geographical area

Dynamic & evolving – organisations that are resilient because they adapt and change as their circumstances change

Influential – organisations that are often one of several providers that make up the fabric of support for a community, working in collaboration

Community led - organisations that actively involve and seek to represent the views of the communities whose interests they serve

Inclusive - organisations that understand that their communities are a not a single homogenous entity and are in fact made up of individuals with a wide variety of backgrounds and heritage

Multipurpose - organisations that are multifunctional with a wide ranging offer and a variety of activities which serves different sections of the community

What has CAN been working on?

The latest development of the Wakefield CAN was informed by the Wakefield Community Anchor Report by Locality funded by Wakefield Council, VSC Emergencies Partnership and British Red Cross.

Since this, CAN has been supporting local Anchors across Wakefield District to be the best they can be through peer support, information sharing, collaboration and businesses development support.

At the CAN Conference – Livin’ La Vida Local – in September 2024, the Network presented the CAN Profile Overview Report for 2024 that includes details about:

Facilitating Leeds Credit Union with their expansion into the district, now operating in seven outreach branches at Community Anchors
Securing funding to promote awareness of cardiovascular disease and blood pressure rates, with one Anchor taking up this contract, and the CAN linking with the initiative to promote Blood Pressure Champions in the community venues as an early alert service.

Nova Wakefield District is the local infrastructure charity that supports Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations working in Wakefield District. The Community Anchor Network is supported through the West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board ‘Harnessing the Power of Communities’ Programme, with co-funding and programme support from Nova.

Working with the ICB is a key partnership for the CAN, linking into the Health & Social Care Partnership and Wakefield Council Public Health, and recognises the role of CAN as an integral part of the system to reduce health inequalities and empower residents in finding the support they need.

Are You an Anchor?

If you are interested in becoming part of the Community Anchor Network and feel your organisation meets the conditions of being an Anchor, please complete the Membership Enquiry Form (Word). Requests will be considered by the Steering Group that meets bi monthly.

CAN are particularly interested in areas not covered by the current anchors.

Working with CAN

You don’t have to be a Community Anchor to work with the CAN. We encourage partnership working with the Anchors, who can offer strong local connections and a wide range of services.

Find contact detail for Wakefield District’s Community Anchors and get in touch!

Contact the Nova Team if you are interested in working with the CAN or would like more information – email info@nova-wd.org.uk or call 01924 367418.