 |
|
|
| Voluntary & Community Support Community Development Rural Access | ||
|
** Please find below all press releases posted during 2007 Leek groups encouraged to apply for small grant fund Posted 23rd November 2007 Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services are encouraging voluntary and community groups in Leek to apply for funds to help their project. SMCVS is, once again, administering a small pot of money on behalf of local County Council Member, Neal Podmore. Awards of up to £150 are available under a small grant scheme funded through the County Councils Local Member Initiative Scheme to assist voluntary and community groups in the Leek area. If you are a voluntary or community group in the Leek area who meets the following criteria: d Annual turnover (expenditure) of less than £5000 and can provide annual accounts to prove this d Fully constituted group d located and operational in Leek or the majority of whose beneficiaries are Leek residents You can apply to the fund, so get your applications in by 31st December 2007. Some projects supported in previous years include:- transport costs/bus trips/outings, holiday entertainment sessions, redecorating, day to day running expenses, storage facilities, venue hire, equipment purchase, publicity and repairs. However, all project ideas will be considered. The approval of grants will be discretionary and all applications will be considered by the CVS in January 2008. The decision regarding your grant will be advised, by post, as soon as possible after that date. An application form is available to download from the SMCVS website at www.smcvs.co.uk or a hard copy can be sent out with further information on by contacting:- Heather Kent, SMCVS Grants Officer – (t) 01538 381356 DEADLINE FOR ALL APPLICATIONS IS 5pm 31ST DECEMBER 2007 Winter Round of Neighbourhood Forums Posted 31st October 200 The Winter round of the Neighbourhood Forums is fast approaching with the first of the meetings across the Staffordshire Moorlands starting on the 14th November. Anyone interested in finding out more about what is happening in their local area, who would like to put forward an idea or concern or simply hear from local representatives, is welcome to attend. As requested by local residents, two new evening meetings will take place this round: Cheddleton Forum will take place at 12 noon and again at 7pm on Monday 19th November Blythe Bridge Forum will take place at 7:00pm for 7:30pm on Tuesday 20th November, with the opportunity to hear about the new Doctors surgery for the village. Each of the Forums will include a short presentation on the Local Development Framework. The Framework is a document seeking the views of members of the public on the future planning policy for the Staffordshire Moorlands. It addresses the challenges facing the area and asks what local residents would like the district to look like in 2026. 4 draft development options are offered and the Neighbourhood Forums will be an opportunity for any member of the public to read and to have their say on the broad principles behind development in their area for the next few years. Representatives from the Primary Care Trust will also be on hand at each of the Forums to discuss the North Staffordshire Out of Hours GP service. Local residents are encouraged to come along to contribute their ideas as to how the service can best serve their needs. Each of the meetings is designed to last no longer than an hour and complimentary refreshments are available. The full Forum agendas and minutes of previous meetings are available on the SMCVS as follows: WERRINGTON: Wednesday 14th November: Werrington Village Hall, Ash Bank Road, Werrington: 12:30pm to 1:30pm This Forum includes short presentations on: · The new planning policy options for Werrington · North Staffordshire GP Out of Hours Service · How SMCVS works to benefit your community · And as always, an opportunity to hear from and speak to your Community Development Worker, Colleen Savage KIDSGROVE: Thursday 16th November: Hollinwood Sheltered Housing Meeting Room, Hollinwood Road, Butt Lane, Kidsgrove 12:30pm to 1:30pm Topics will include: · Health and Wellbeing · Aspire Housing · Community Safety and Policing CHEDDLETON & WETLEY ROCKS - Monday 19th November: Community Centre, Hollow Lane 12 noon to 1pm and 7pm to 8pm PLEASE NOTE, DUE PUBLIC REQUEST, THERE ARE TWO MEETINGS TAKING PLACE ON THIS DAY WITH AN ADDITIONAL EVENING MEETING. With short presentations on: · The new planning policy options for Cheddleton and Wetley Rocks · North Staffordshire GP Out of Hours Service · How SMCVS works to benefit your community · Playing Fields Update · And as always, an opportunity to hear from and speak to your Community Development Worker, Gaynor Parkinson BLYTHE BRIDGE: Tuesday 20th November: The Edgerton Centre, Blythe Bridge: 7pm for 7:30pm start With short presentations on: · The new doctors surgery · The new planning policy options for Blythe Bridge · North Staffordshire GP Out of Hours Service · How SMCVS works to benefit your community · And as always, an opportunity to hear from and speak to your Community Development Worker, Colleen Savage TEAN: Wednesday 21st November: Christ Church, Vicarage Road, Tean: 1pm – 2pm With short presentations on: · The new planning policy options for Tean · North Staffordshire GP Out of Hours Service · How SMCVS works to benefit your community · And as always, an opportunity to hear from and speak to your Community Development Worker, Colleen Savage LEEK: Thursday 22nd November: Red Cross Centre, Southbank Street, Leek: 12 noon – 1pm With short presentations on: · The new planning policy options for Leek · North Staffordshire GP Out of Hours Service · How SMCVS works to benefit your community · And as always, an opportunity to hear from and speak to your Neighbourhood Agent, Malcolm Cunningham ENDON: Monday 26th November: Endon Village Hall, Station Road, Endon: 12 noon – 1pm With short presentations on: · The new planning policy options for Endon · North Staffordshire GP Out of Hours Service · How SMCVS works to benefit your community · And as always, an opportunity to hear from and speak to your Community Development Worker, Colleen Savage BIDDULPH: Tuesday 27th November: Biddulph Town Hall, High Street, Biddulph: 12 noon – 1pm With short presentations on: · The new planning policy options for Biddulph · North Staffordshire GP Out of Hours Service · The work of the Biddulph East Gardening Project · How SMCVS works to benefit your community · And an opportunity to hear from and speak to your Neighbourhood Agents, Sylvia Rushton and Joyce Mather CHEADLE: Wednesday 28th November: Methodist Church Hall, Chapel Street, Cheadle: 12 noon – 1pm With short presentations on: · The new planning policy options for Cheadle · North Staffordshire GP Out of Hours Service · How SMCVS works to benefit your community · And as always, an opportunity to hear from and speak to your Community Development Worker, Colleen Savage If you would like to contribute to the Forums but cannot make the meeting – or find out further information about any of the meetings, please contact the SMCVS Community Development Team on 01538 381356. Minutes of all previous meetings are available to download from the Neighbourhood Forum page. Longnor celebrates opening of brand new skatepark Posted 31st October 2007 Knee pads and skateboards will be the order of the day in Longnor on Saturday 8th December when the village’s brand new skate park is officially opened. For the last four years, young people in Longnor have been heavily involved in designing a brand new skate park area, alongside the Parish Council, Staffordshire Youth Service and the Longnor Village Action Group. The new skate park, sited adjacent to the school field, received confirmation that it could go ahead only two months ago, after funding was received from the Youth Capital Fund at Staffordshire Youth Service. In order to celebrate the completion of the area, a celebration event will take place in the village marquee on the school field from 10am - 2pm. Local youngsters have obtained funding from the Local Network Fund to facilitate the celebration and have organised the event with the help of the Village Action Group and the Longnor youth worker. Eric Drinkwater, the community representative at the Youth Service has been invited to open the event and some of the original young people who came up with the idea of the skate park all those years ago will also be present. Although they are now older and will not use perhaps use the facility themselves, it is important to recognise their initial hard work in getting the project off the ground – and that the work they put in will benefit local youngsters now and in the future. Local bands will be playing throughout the event, a fancy dress competition, graffiti art workshop and t shirt printing workshop will also take place. A play area for the very young people of Longnor, surf board ride and refreshments will all be available. The event has been organised by the young people for the young people of the village and it is hoped that everyone will turn out to support this great new addition to the village. Further information is available from the SMCVS Community Development Team on 01538 381356. ***** CONSULTATION POSTPONED ***** Posted 31st October 2007 PLEASE NOTE THAT THE WERRINGTON CONSULTATION HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO UNFORSEEN CIRCUMSTANCES. IT IS PLANNED THAT THE CONSULTATION WILL BE REARRANGED FOR EARLY 2008 AND DETAILS WILL APPEAR HERE AS SOON AS THEY ARE CONFIRMED. Young People Lead The Way Posted 23rd October 2007 Young people in Werrington will be involved in running a community consultation day at the Village Hall, on Saturday 10th November to ask local residents about the potential options for the siting of a much needed youth shelter. Taking place from 10am - 5pm, the consultation event is being held in partnership with Moorside High School Youth Forum, Staffordshire Police and Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services. Werrington Parish Council fully supports the young people in their quest to have somewhere to go in the village. Back in June 2007, a number of young people from the village attended a parish council meeting to give a presentation on the young people of Werrington and their aspirations to build a stronger relationship with the local community. Since then, they have been working closely with the local Councillors to build a line of communication between the community and all of the young people of Werrington. Since the formation of the Moorside High Youth Forum, just over 12 months ago, anti-social behaviour by young people in the village has fallen by 44% in comparison to the same period last year. The event on the 10th November will be hosted by Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services and local police officers. Local young people from the Youth Forum and local Parish Councillors will be on hand throughout the day to talk to residents about their concerns. There will be maps of the village available to look at, showing places that may be suitable to site a youth shelter. Lots of information regarding youth shelters and their successful use in other locations across the North Staffordshire area will also be available to view. For further information on the Consultation event please contact the SMCVS Community Development Team on 01538 381356. " A very successful afternoon" Posted 14th October 2007 “I was really nervous about coming! We had no idea of the questions that we were going to be asked – but I’m really pleased I took part – it was brilliant,” admitted Werrington Parish Councillor Lisa Martin after the ““speedy surgery” at Moorside High School last month. 16 students worked in pairs to prepare three questions each and were given five minutes to quiz each of the Councillors in turn. Six Parish Councillors, one District and one County Councillor took part in the event and as they moved around the tables were asked questions such as “What do you personally think of young people in Werrington?” and “How we could we improve the teenagers of Werrington?” The students were all members of the Werrington Youth Forum. Set up over 12 months ago with the support of Colleen Savage, Community Development Worker at Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services, PC Paul Bolam and Assistant Head of Moorside High, Mr Alan Wight, the Youth Forum is made up of students from the school who all live in the village of Werrington and have an interest in what goes on in their local community. Mr Wight explains, “The Forum has an open membership – the students are not elected and it works because we have a complete cross section of the young residents of Werrington involved. Membership has doubled in the last year and today has been their chance to talk to the people who run Werrington. Its’ been a really good experience for the students because they are taking responsibility and are in turn being listened to directly by adults”. He added, “The more that they are able to have a direct dialogue with people who have power the more they realise they are going to be listened to and can make a difference.” All of the students who took part were keen to improve the perceptions held by others of the young people in the village. Student Sarah Daniel explained, “We just want somewhere to go in Werrington where we are not hassled and are not annoying others”. All the students wanted the Councillors to understand that there is a real need for some form of youth shelter in the village and that they were keen to work with the local community to find the best possible place to site it. “We’ve tried to get the message over that we are only normal” was the response from Councillor Bill Day after his questions from around the tables. “We want the students to come and talk to us. I live in the village and I have a good understanding of what goes and what they would like. As Councillors it is our responsibility, with other partners, to work together and move forward”. All the students took their own notes from the responses they received to their questions and the Youth Forum will contribute their comments on the day to future plans for the village. A full community consultation event is being held at Werrington Village Hall on Saturday 10th November. PC Paul Bolam said, “Today has been a step forward for the members of the Youth Forum and the next step in engagement. It shows that a partnership such as this - between the police, the school, SMCVS, local councillors and the local young residents of Werrington - can only be a positive way of taking this forward”. The consultation day on the 10th November will be an opportunity for local residents to contribute their idea to the future of the village and it is hoped that all local residents will drop into the Village Hall from 10am to 5pm to add their views to those being gathered on the facilities needed to the local area. In order to help celebrate Make A Difference Day, the biggest single day of volunteering in the UK, volunteers are required to join the Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre at Alton Castle, Alton on Saturday 27th October. Established as a residential youth centre by the Archdiocese of Birmingham, Alton Castle opened in September 1996. It has had a highly successful first 10 years with over 7,000 children visiting the Castle each year. It's popularity can be put down to the fact that the Castle is offering a unique experience that meets a real need within schools and community youth groups within the Midlands. Registered as a charity (no. 234216), the voluntary nature of some of the staff’s work helps keep costs low, but there is always help that can be given and maintenance work that needs doing – and this is where we need your help! " Get involved and MAKE A DIFFERENCE" Posted 28th September 2007 The Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre would like local volunteers to help in a one day hands-on activity day at Alton Castel - cleaning, painting dormitories, gardening and generally helping to spruce up the castle wherever it is needed. Free refreshments and lunch will be provided for all volunteers throughout the day. Anyone over the age of 16 is welcome to join in the fun - but booking is essential so we can make sure we have enough tools and equipment for everyone on the day. Transport will also be provided free of charge from the Leek area to Alton Castle, with buses leaving Leek at 9am and returning by 5pm. Reasonable travel expenses can be covered for volunteers making their own way. Deadline for booking in is Friday 19th October. For further information and booking forms, please call: The Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre on 01538 398240 or email: volunteering@smcvs.co.uk Free training course - "Safeguarding People In Our Care" Posted 29th August 2007 If you’re looking at a career path working with, or volunteering with, young people, then a free one-day course being run by the Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre in conjunction with Newcastle and North Staffs Play Council is just for you. The workshop “Safeguarding People in our Care” is running on Saturday 8th September 2007 at Milward Hall Youth Centre. The training will be informal and worked around subjects that affect volunteers working with young people. The training is particularly relevant to young people starting to volunteer in youth settings and / or working with young people. For those wanting to volunteer on a more regular basis after the training, the V Project, from Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre - a volunteer project specifically aimed at encouraging 16 – 25 years olds to volunteer - will offer ongoing support and training. Anyone interested in attending the course should contact Sarah Deighton – V Project Co-ordinator, Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre on 01538 398240 or by email: volunteering@smcvs.co.uk. Lunch and refreshments will be provided throughout the day and transport can be arranged if required. There are only 16 places on the course and places will be allocated on a first come first served basis, so please book early. Brown Edge & First Responders Autumn Fair Posted 29th August 2007 Friday 7th September sees the Brown Edge and Endon First Responders Autumn Fair take place at Endon Village Hall. The event is open to anyone to call in from 7.30pm until 10pm. There will be all sorts of stalls to browse around, from aromatherapy and jewellery through to the opportunity to have your Tarot read. Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services (SMCVS) will also be at the event carrying out the second part of the Endon Village Consultation. SMCVS staff will be on hand throughout the evening to gain opinions from local residents on the draft plan for the village that has been created so far. Last December’s original consultation saw a wide range of issues brought to life and the aim of the second stage is to prioritise these issues and move the plan forward. Anyone is welcome to attend the fundraiser and all funds raised during the evening will go to the Brown Edge and Endon First Responders. Further information is available from the Community Development Team at SMCVS on 01538 381356 SMCVS AGM showcases Communities Together Posted 14th August 2007 A new County wide web portal for the voluntary and community sector was launched in June and a demonstration of how it works will be given at this year’s AGM for Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services (SMCVS). The web portal not only provides a database of voluntary and community groups across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent and is full of useful information for local groups, it will also offer opportunities for groups to set up their own web sites. www.communitiestogether.org.uk is still very new and information is being added to it all the time. It is hoped that it will become the key means of communication for the voluntary and community sector in the sub-region, both to access relevant information and to give feedback. To find out more about the web portal and the wide range of services on offer from SMCVS come along to the AGM in the Sixth Form Centre, Westwood College, Leek on Tuesday 4th September 2007, starting at 7.30pm. As Chief Officer, Jill Norman explains: “We welcome all those with an interest in the voluntary and community sector in the Moorlands to come along to the AGM, you don’t have to be a member. The theme this year is innovation and collaboration. As well as featuring the communitiestogether web portal, there will be CVS staff on hand to give advice on subjects ranging from grants to volunteering and CRB disclosure.” If you would like to come along to the AGM please ring SMCVS on 01538 381356 to book a place. Can you wang your welly? Posted 28th July 2007 If you can wang your welly then Hollinsclough is the place to be this month as the parish gears itself up for its Fourth Annual Fun Day on Saturday 18th August. Taking place all around the village, the event is managed and run by the Hollinsclough Action Group – a group of local volunteers who come together to highlight and tackle issues of concern in the local area. Now in its fourth year, the original purpose of the Fun Day was to raise funds for Action Group projects within the Hollinsclough Parish – but it has since grown in size to become an anticipated local event! There will be a car boot sale, stalls selling everything from local produce to books, owls to visit and stroke, the annual welly-wanging and hay-judging competitions and a fantastic sheep-to-shawl spinning display. Alongside that, visitors will be able to listen to the Silver Band playing throughout the afternoon, stroll around the lovely chapel which will be opening its doors to visitors, and watch a fantastic display from the fire brigade who will showing visitors what it’s like to be cut from a wrecked car. This year – the first year with a marquee – the Fun Day will also include the “Planning For Real” event. A model of the parish has been built by pupils at Hollinsclough Primary School, in conjunction with the Action Group and the Hollinsclough Village Agent. This will be on display for the local community to view and identify any community issues, aspirations or concerns they may have about the parish, through placing markers on the model at the relevant site. A concern already raised about fly tipping for example, will be sited on the model in the lay-by where it occurs. The results of the Planning For Real Event will be analysed by Staffordshire Moorlands CVS and used to draw up an updated Action Plan for Hollinsclough. The Plan will then be used by the Action Group to identify new projects and be forwarded to relevant partners to help identify issues and concerns across the wider area. Taking place throughout the afternoon of the 18th August, Hollinsclough will be pleased to welcome villagers and visitors alike to join in the merriment. Further information on the Fun Day and the Planning for Real Event are available from Penny Ward at SMCVS on 01538 381356. Environmental Fun Day Posted 27th April 2007 To celebrate Volunteers’ Week, a national week at the beginning of June, where volunteers are recognised, rewarded and recruited across the UK, the Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre are organising an environmental fun day in Brough Park, Leek, in conjunction with the newly forming group, The Friends of Brough Park and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust. Taking place from 10am – 3pm on Saturday 2nd June, anyone over the age of 14 years is welcome to take part in the day. The Volunteer Centre would like to hear from anyone who would be willing to join them and volunteers from the Friends of Brough Park group, to make bird and bat boxes and take part in a litter pick with a difference. All rubbish and excess logs collected from around the park on the day will be sorted into rubbish or recyclable items and then volunteers will have the opportunity to try their hand at creating a wooden or recyclable sculpture. Staffordshire Moorlands District Council’s Parks and Gardens are providing posts for volunteers to create a brand new orienteering course around the park and bulbs to plant during the day. All volunteers taking part in the day will be asked to give their ideas for other activities or improvements that they would like to see happen in Brough Park - ideas that the Friends group can then take forward and discuss in the future. Everyone involved will also be entered into a prize draw and rewarded for all their hard work with a thank you certificate and a strawberries and cream picnic at the end of the day! This aims to be an enjoyable way of trying something completely different and helping your local park on a one-off basis. The Staffordshire Moorlands Volunteer Centre want to say thank you to all local volunteers throughout Volunteers’ Week and will be out and about throughout the Moorlands – including hosting a market stall on Leek Market on Wednesday 6th June as well as hosting this great environmental fun day on Saturday 2nd June. Anyone interested in joining in the fun at Brough Park should contact the Volunteer Centre - Monday to Friday 9:30am – 2pm at the SMCVS shop - 15 Sheepmarket, Leek. Or, please call 01538 398240, email: volunteering@smcvs.co.uk Community Pride in Waterhouses Posted 24th April 2007 Community pride came alive in Waterhouses last weekend. Local volunteers and members of the Waterhouses Play Area Committee met at 10am on Sunday to clear the village play area. The project, organised by the Chairman of the Committee, Richard Edwards, saw over 25 children and adults spending three hours litter picking the whole area and clearing the access overgrowth. Staffordshire Moorlands Community and Voluntary Services and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council – through the Community Pride scheme – worked together to provide litter picking tools, gloves and bags along with two employees to assist in the project. The litter collected was taken away by the council along with larger items such as a mattress, old metal bars, broken glass and lots of polystyrene. Two members of the Parish Council who are trustees of the recreation site, Steve Hunter and Richard Ward, also attended to help with the litter picking and the strimming of the access drive. The local youth club, led by Dean Goodwin, also got involved in this outdoor spring clean. Richard Ward said, ‘Everyone was delighted that over a ton of rubbish was collected and the area is now something that the community can be proud of. Thanks to SMCVS and the District Council for their input and support through Community Pride. The whole project has enhanced community spirit within our village’. SMCVS gets to "Pimp My Red Nose Ride" Posted 16th February 2007 Staffordshire Moorlands Community & Voluntary Services are delighted to announce that they are at the centre of one of the biggest “Pimp My Rides” ever seen on MTV, in aid of Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day. The “pimped” minibus is one of the fleet of minibuses that SMCVS operate around the Staffordshire Moorlands on a daily basis – bringing clients to and from luncheon clubs and meetings. SMCVS was contacted by Comic Relief regarding the opportunity to enter the running to have one of the minibuses refurbished and following numerous phone calls from Comic Relief and a film crew coming to Leek to interview minibus users and volunteer drivers earlier in the year, the SMCVS minibus has been chosen to be refurbished! This refurbishment is to be done especially for Comic Relief’s “Red Nose Day” on Friday 16th March 2007 with “Pimp My Red Nose Ride” screened on BBC TV. Radio 1 DJ and MTV presenter of “Pimp My Ride” announced the selection of the minibus to a group of volunteers and clients from St Pauls Luncheon Club, Novi Lane , Leek this week. The final “pimped” (meaning jazzed-up, in America) minibus will be revealed to the group and SMCVS volunteer drivers at the BBC TV studios on the live “Red Nose Day” celebrations! The minibus concerned has been taken away by MTV to be ”pimped” and a replacement vehicle provided. All volunteers and clients will be holding their breath to see what shape the new vehicle will hit the roads in! M&M to keep on moving Posted 2nd February 2007 Good news for the Haregate M & M (Movement to Music) over 60’s group. They have just heard they have been successful in securing a grant through Sport Relief. £1,000 has been awarded towards their professional tutor fees over the next 12 months. The group meets at the Community Centre in Haregate Road, Leek from 12.30pm to 2.30pm every Tuesday. They meet with the intention of enjoying each others company, to have tea and biscuits and do some very gentle, fun exercise to music - under the guidance of a professional tutor. Anyone wishing to join the group can just turn up on a Tuesday and will receive a warm welcome or can contact Clive Smith, SMCVS Community Development Officer on 01538 398378 for further information. Other groups interested in raising funds for their activities can find out more on the SMCVS website – www.smcvs.co.uk or can contact the SMCVS Grants Officer, Heather Kent on 01538 381356 email: grants@smcvs.co.uk SCIO Conference 2007 Posted 12th January 2007
Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Consortium of Infrastructure
Oraganisations (SCIO) is holding a conference:-
Advance notice and further information available
here. Working in a Neighbourhood near you Posted 12th January 2007 The Village Agent Project has greatly expanded with the recruitment of one extra Village Agent and four new positions of Neighbourhood Agents. The Village Agent Project – now in its seventh year – was devised and has been continuously developed by SMCVS in Leek. The new recruits have joined a team six people who go out into their allocated communities to find out what issues there are and - where they can – give advice of and help implement any solutions. Up to now, this service has only been offered to rural villages and parishes across the Staffordshire Moorlands but due to its success the Local Strategic Partnership have awarded extra funds to the project to be able to now offer this service to neighbourhoods within the towns of Leek, Cheadle and Biddulph. Any residents of these areas who may wish a certain issue to be addressed can contact the SMCVS office on 01538 381356. There will also be an opportunity to meet your Neighbourhood Agent at your town’s Neighbourhood Forum in the Spring: Leek – Thursday 1st March at the Red Cross Centre on Southbank Street at 12 noon. Cheadle – Wednesday 14th March at the Methodist Church Hall on Chapel Street at 12 noon. Biddulph – Tuesday 6th March at Biddulph Town Hall on High Street at 12 noon Rural Access to Services Partnership Posted 10th January 2007 An exciting new project, aimed at providing people living in Staffordshire with a means of accessing employment, training and further education has just been launched by SMCVS. The aim of the Rural Access to Services Partnership is to reduce the negative effects of rural isolation on rural communities and businesses. The role of the partnership will be to work with public sector organisations, community and voluntary organisations and where appropriate social enterprises and private companies to improve access to work, training and services for rural and disadvantaged communities. Part of the project is to offer financial help through the Rural Access Fund for community groups experiencing difficulty getting their members to meetings. If your groups struggles to bring all its members together, then Alex Clark at SMCVS could be able to help on 01538 398689. Another, exciting part of the project is open to individuals too. A “Wheels to Work Scheme for Staffordshire”, is open to residents living in the rural areas who are experiencing difficulty in accessing work and training. If this sounds like you or any of your clients, then you can now have the opportunity to apply for help with your travel arrangements. A number of travel options, are available to choose from – including the loan of mopeds and bicycles, subsidised driving lessons, vehicle repair grants, travel vouchers or simply help with planning your travel to help you get back into work. All applicants to the scheme must live in Staffordshire, but can work outside of the county. Please contact Malcolm Beardmore or Sheila Allen at SMCVS on 01538 398689 for further details.
|
SMCVS produces a monthly newsletter that is sent out to all of our members and any other interested organisations or individuals. If you would like to submit an article that would be relevant to our readers or insert an advert, please click here.
|
|
|
Staffordshire Moorlands Community & Voluntary Services |
||
