BVSC's Health and Social Care Team are delighted to be working on a new project funded by Public Health Birmingham supporting and developing smoking cessation outreach, running until February 2026.

The project consists of three strands. Firstly, a training programme for Voluntary, Community, Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFSE) sector organisations, equipping them with knowledge and skills to meet and talk to smokers in their communities, with the aim of encouraging them to use smoking cessation services. Secondly, a set of ten grants made to VCFSE sector organisations, enabling them to start new dedicated engagement activity across a variety of Birmingham's communities. Finally, a volunteering programme where volunteers attend a variety of community engagement events throughout the city to meet and talk with people who smoke or know those who do, to promote smoking cessation services.

BVSC's project forms part of a larger body of work which Public Health Birmingham has funded through the national Smokefree Generation grant, which aims to make Britain smokefree by 2030. Click here to read more about the work and the other projects that have been funded.

Smoking Cessation Training

BVSC have developed a smoking cessation training package, providing voluntary sector organisations and volunteers with a broad range of knowledge about smoking, smoking cessation services, current legislation and the local & national pictures, and how to approach engaging smokers in conversation.

In partnership with our trainer Ray Walker, we delivered a series of 'Level 1' two-hour workshop sessions during May and June of 2025, which were well attended by voluntary sector organisations. Later, in August 2025, we delivered (again alongside Ray Walker) several 'Level 2' one-day sessions, which went into significantly more detail about all aspects of the training and incorporated a number of case studies. Both our Level 1 and Level 2 sessions were very well received by our attendees, who were able to participate in peer discussions about the best approaches to engaging their specific communities.

Depending on interest, we may be able to run more of these sessions later in 2025, and we can deliver a bespoke session for your organisation or community. If you're interested in hosting one of our training sessions, get in touch with us and we can discuss duration, costs and content.

Alongside the in-person sessions, we have also developed a digital e-learning module about Smoking Cessation, which is free to access for VCFSE organisations and volunteers. This module draws from the content of the in-person program, and works as both a robust introduction to smoking and smoking cessation, or as a refresher.

Click here to explore the e-learning module!

Smoking Cessation Engagement Grants

BVSC are delighted to have supported ten VCFSE sector organisations to deliver smoking cessation engagement activity through grant funding. Each organisation is starting new and exciting activity within their communities and local areas, with the aim of engaging with smokers and referring them into local smoking cessation services.

The ten organisations (and their particular communities of focus) are:

1. Birmingham Settlement (City-wide engagement with service users through their wide-ranging money advice services)
2. Bold Actions CIC (Focuses on Black African, French-speaking and Erdington communities)
3. Colebridge Trust (East Birmingham)
4. Community Drive CIC (North-West and inner-city Birmingham, young people, BAME people, families of SEND children, Muslim communities)
5. Foundation 2 Change CIC (People in recovery and people with multiple complex needs)
6. Health Exchange (People referred by social prescribers, Ladywood, Balsall Heath and Sparkhill)
7. Latvian Cultural Centre (Eastern European communities, Handsworth and other parts of West Birmingham)
8. Sparkbrook Children’s Zone - Green Square Accord (Sparkbrook, Sparkhill and surrounding areas, children, families and young people, people from the global majority)
9. Spring Housing Association (Homeless and those precariously housed, people with mental health difficulties)
10. THIA CIC (City-wide, including carers and people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority community backgrounds)

If you're interest in learning more about the work of any of our providers or would like to work directly with them, please contact us.

Smoking Cessation Volunteers

BVSC are taking volunteers to a range of community health and engagement events across Birmingham to speak compassionately with members of the public about smoking and smoking cessation, and to encourage them or their loved ones to make use of the range of smoking cessation services that are on offer in the city.

If you're interested in volunteering, we're always on the lookout for more people to support our work. You'll be provided with training, resources, re-imbursement, supervision and anything else you need to volunteer effectively, enjoyably and safely!

Click here to sign up for our volunteering opportunity!

Work with Us & Get in Touch

Please email us at [email protected] if you have any questions about our work, if you'd like to book a smoking cessation training session for your organisation/community, or if you'd like to work with us.