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Home What is Walsall's New Deal? Themes Area Map Newsletter Media Releases Staff Events New Deal Documentation Links Job Vacancies Contact Site Map |
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'ChTitt-ChTatt' is the monthly e-letter that aims to keep board members and stakeholders up to date on projects. 
Would you like to have a look round the new Blakenall Village Centre? Please contact Beverley on 01922 712858 who can make the necessary arrangements. 1. Employment, Skills and Business Work on the Horizon launched on the 6th June this year, has been well received by both residents of the New Deal area and the Borough who are looking for work or training. The official opening, carried out by Tony Parsons, Chair of Steps to Work (Walsall) Ltd and Tom Perrett, Chair of Walsall's New for Communities received excellent media coverage. Up to the end of September, we have had 647 new customers to the shop of which 205 live within Walsall's New Deal area. 118 of the new customers were currently employed and looking to "up skill" or move into alternative employment. A total of 138 people from our area have been in on numerous occasions to use the facilities available at the shop. The centre on Bloxwich High Street, aims to help people who are unemployed to find long term work, develop skills and assist local employers with recruitment needs. Up until the end of September, 43 unemployed New Deal residents have secured employment with a further 58 joining a development programme. A total of 106 New Deal residents have either secured employment or joined a development programme as a result of accessing the support services available at the centre. On the 1st September 'Work on the Horizon' achieved their 500th customer. (The projected number of new customers for April to September 2005 was 120). Local resident, Anthony Salmon was looking for assistance with getting back to work when he walked into the centre, and found himself to be the 500th customer and the winner of a £50 voucher. Anthony had worked in the insurance sector for 5 years but had been made redundant the week before coming to see us. He used our job search facilities and applied for several vacancies during his visit, whilst waiting for a response, he took on temporary work. Anthony said: "The team at 'Work on the Horizon' were great. They are very friendly and helpful. I have no hesitation in recommending the service to anyone who is looking for help with their employment and training". More information contact Bob Crundwell 01922 712858 2. Education & Learning Things are really moving now on the Education front. At the time of writing this, four tenders have been short-listed and appraised for the Community Strand of the Education Strategy. It's expected that projects will be able to be commissioned for Community Learning, for Outreach Learning and for Basic Skills. The Education Theme had an opportunity to hear what the organisation had to offer at the meeting on 31st October. On the schools side, tenders were received, including well written tenders from a major national company in the Education field and collaborative bids from the local schools. One was felt by the short-listing panel to be appropriate to progress - a project, "Celebrating Science" was felt to address the under-performance in Key Stage 2 Science in some schools. The rest were either too expensive (by far) or inappropriate, or, in one case, would have duplicated or competed with "You Can Do It!" The schools' bids were felt to contain some useful elements and to have a good likelihood of continued sustainability. Since they exceeded the available funding, a discussion has been initiated with them and with Education Walsall to determine how the essential elements can be carried forward within the funds available. It is hoped that projects can be brought forward to the January Theme meeting for consideration from Easter 2006. One of the most exciting thoughts to come out of this so far is the emergence of an idea for a "Virtual School" for the New Deal area, supporting pupils with study and projects when their schools are closed. This will require some new thinking but has a lot of promise. Watch this space! The short-listing panel were also disappointed that a bid for a Learning Champions project had to be ruled out as unaffordable. After 3 years and 9 months, the Learning Champions project will conclude on 31st December 2005. Our challenge is to consider how elements of the existing project can be taken up through successor projects and we will be liaising with Prospects to take this forward. A proposal to extend "You Can Do It!" was approved by Government Office for a further year to ensure that the project was able to be embedded. After 3½ years some schools have opted to continue. Some of the elements that had been anticipated are unlikely now to be initiated. It has been indicated by Government Office that a rigorous Evaluation should be held of "You Can Do It!" during the summer to establish what has been achieved. They have also indicated that they will consider whether or not a further extension to "You Can Do It!" is warranted in the light of the report of the evaluation. More information contact Bob Marsh on 01922 712858 3. Housing and Environment The major planning proposals for homes in the Blakenall Heath area on land owned by New Deal received planning approval on 1st November 2005. The three sites at Walker Road, Blakenall Close and Victoria House will comprise of 100 houses and apartments for sale. The developer, Bellway Homes, is keen to commence work so watch this space! Bellway Homes have already begun work on the site previously owned by Bloxwich Housing Trust at Taylor Avenue. This is all tremendous news for the regeneration of Blakenall. The enhanced Homebuy Scheme to make some properties more affordable is to be considered by the Board at the end of November. Next week at the Blakenall info Centre there will be a display showing plans for an environmental improvement scheme at Lancaster Place. The display is to show residents the proposals and to canvas their views. The display will also provide an opportunity to show other New Deal residents what is happening. The project aims to provide additional parking spaces, to reduce carriageway obstructions and eliminate verge parking. This scheme was developed by the New Deal funded BLEAP project. The display is on all week and on Friday 4th November the BLEAP project co-ordinator Tom Brown from Walsall Council will be available to answer questions and listen to residents comments on the scheme. Residents living next to the site to be improved, and patch reps, councillors and New Deal staff have already been sent plans of the scheme, feedback sheets and pre-paid reply envelopes. The response to this consultation has been entirely positive. Once the consultation is completed and the plans amended to include the results of the consultation, a planning application is to be submitted as soon as possible. It is hoped that the scheme will implemented in January or February 2006. A planning application has been submitted for Church Street Alley Gates, and a planning application has been submitted for Ryle Street Gates. However, the application covers only the garage site that serves both Field Road and Benton Crescent. The second site behind Benton and Ryle Street is an adopted highway and with this current designation cannot be gated. A legal remedy that will allow the site to be gated is being investigated. On Hardy and Beresford Road a safety issue has been raised by a resident regarding vehicles cutting the corner as they come into Hardy Road and driving across the pavement. Pending approval from the Housing and Environment Theme Group, it is proposed to install 4 metal bollards at a cost of £1,890 to prevent this from happening. The consultation is now complete on the Walker Road Bungalows and option A has been selected. Due to needing to get underground services moved before work can commence, the majority of this scheme is likely to be implemented in the next financial year. Work to be undertaken this year includes the lowering of the services and demolition of the front wall which will be replaced with fencing. The highway and parking improvement work can then begin early in the new financial year. Hamilton House remedial fencing work has now been implemented. Neighbourhood Nature is making arrangements to replace the broken tree in the garden. Blakenall Village Works to the play area will be completed week commencing the 31st of October. A Service Level Agreement, which has been developed to ensure that service provision for the play area addresses local need, has been signed by all the relevant parties and will become operational once the improvements are complete. Work is ongoing to enable a similar agreement to be active for the opening of the toilet facilities. Elmore Green and Bloxwich War Memorial The project is now almost complete and the works carried out include:
More information from Steve Pooni 01922 712858 4. Crime and Community Safety 15th & 16th May, 2006 will see a National NDC Crime Leaders conference being hosted and held at the Blakenall Village Centre, supported by workshops from the other Regional Crime Theme Leads. The theme is 'Fear of Crime'. We aim to learn from each other by networking with other Crime Theme Leads on a National basis and producing a 'National NDC Best Practice Guide on Public Reassurance'. We have already an agreement (in principle) from Dr. Alex Hirschfield (Director of Applied Criminology & University of Huddersfield) who is overseeing the National NDC Evaluation on Crime Themes, to be our Key Note Speaker. More information contact Angie Kelly on 01922 712858 5. Health and Well Being Healthy Hearts project has been extended for a further 6 months from October 2005 to specifically target the weight management and smoking cessation clinics. If residents, staff or colleagues are interested in stopping smoking the Co-op Pharmacy in the BVC will provide a free 3 months supply of nicotine replacements (patches, gum, lozenges etc.). Please contact the Pharmacist for more information. Public Management Consultants have been appointed to develop the Health Strategy will make recommendations of what interventions should be developed in the coming years. It will be based on a community development approach which will ensure that the community leads and steers the initiative to meet local needs. Public Management Consultants have been appointed to develop the Health Strategy which will make recommendations of what interventions should be developed in the coming years. It will be based on a community development approach which will ensure that the community leads and steers the initiative to meet local needs. We have agreed to match fund 3 sports coaches over the next 3 years to work across the area, primarily with 7-14 year olds, these are:
More information contact Harjinder Singh 01922 712858 6. Community Empowerment Community Groups The Community Involvement Team is compiling a Community and Voluntary Directory of groups within our area. It will provide a key reference point and highlight the work that is being done. If you are involved in a community or voluntary group and would like more information please contact the team at the BiC. Millfields Fun Club and Thomas Toddlers, (working in partnership with WHG and the Community Involvement Team), have renovated the community room in Thomas House flats. The room will be open to residents early November. Congratulations to Christ Church Parents Group and Harden Parents Group, who have received Community Chest grants for activities for children and parents in their schools. Accorn Fund The following Accorn Grants were approved at the last panel meeting;
The Young Persons Liaison Team has compiled a 'scrap book' of events and activities past, present and future. This book is being sent to Board Members as an information resource. Copies will be available from the BiC. We have been successful in getting 2 places on the 'Take off' project 24th to 28th February 2006 in Coimbra, Portugal, (pending the project getting final approval from the EU). The project is70% funded and the aim is:
We continue with support to the Electric Palace and Blakenall CA working with the young people who access their centres. Articles for the next edition of 'ChTatter' are arriving from young people. It now includes a regular youth section. Two young people are attending a weekend residential in Lancaster to be involved in consultation regarding the 'youth green paper', between 28th and 30th October. Young people from other NDC's will also be involved. The cycling coaching courses take place on 5th November and 3rd December. Two resident Board Members have agreed to attend the course and support this work. Congratulations to Kirsty Jones, who received the Mayors Award for Young Citizen, and to Blakenall Community Association for getting first place for environmental awareness in the Mayor's Awards for the team work that went into creating Grandpa's Victory Garden. New Deal Patch Elections The New Deal Patch Elections are well underway. Ten patches are involved being patches 4, 7, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 22. Nominations closed 7th October. The response has been good with 8 patches receiving one nomination each and patches 11 and 12 both receiving two nominations. Ballot papers for these two patches were mailed out by staff on 28th October and the deadline for the return of the ballot papers is 7pm on 1st December. The count will be held at the BiC at 5pm 2nd December, 2005. Ballot boxes are located at the BiC and Blakenall Village Centre. A returning officer plus senior staff will oversee the count. As usual, nominees and their seconders have been validated by the Electoral Registration Office. Community Driving Programme Congratulations to Jenny Marriot of Mersey Road Blakenall, who passed her Driving Test in October another success for our Community Driving Programme. Neighbourhood Nature
Other Community Empowerment Issues The 'Compact' is a set of codes for good practice across the private, public, voluntary and community organisations. We attended the launch on 28th September at the Village Hotel. The 'Compact' will be distributed to all our theme leaders and Board Members and local community organisations, allowing the document to become a living and integral part of the planning and delivery of our initiatives. 'Get Heard' is a national Government initiative. It is part the 'National Action Plan' that links with the European Unions attempt to reduce poverty by 2010. We are working with Helen Baglee (Healthy Hearts) Tina Thatcher, Tariq Khan (CEN) and Sioux Jordan (Sure Start), to plan and deliver two 'Get Heard' sessions The aim of the sessions will be to enable a sensible response to the government's questions that cover 4 main areas;
The second event will be a part of the Walsall Gipsy and Travellers Forum to be held on the 10th November, at the Blakenall Village Centre. As a member of the European Union, Britain is required to have a National Action Plan on tackling Poverty and addressing Social Exclusion. Feedback from the sessions will be part of the response from New Deal that is being fed back to the Governments Social Exclusion Unit. More information contact Michelle Parry 01922 711228 Communications Diary Dates The current edition of 'ChTatter' is now being prepared with distribution taking place in the 1st / 2nd week of December. 'ChTitt - ChTatt' 24th edition the deadline for the November edition will to be 12.00hrs Thursday 24th October. For Children in Need this year we aim to keep 2 exercise bikes going non-stop for 26hrs, (and some 'fools' are planning to stay awake for the duration) we'll be in the Blakenall Village Centre Atrium getting sweaty from 10.00am Friday 18th until 12 noon on Saturday 19th November. So pop along give us you support, even better, join in. To get involved please contact Judy White at the Blakenall info Centre on 711228 to book your slot. Walsall's New Deal is sponsoring Christmas Celebrations through-out the New Deal area commencing with the Bloxwich Switch On; 15.45 Saturday 3rd December at Bloxwich Market by Snow White and her dwarfs in partnership with the Bloxwich Market Traders. Blakenall 'Caribbean Christmas', 12 until 5.00pm on Sunday 4th December Switch On at 16. 00hrs, fun fair, prize for the best 'Pirate of the Caribbean'. Local shopping opportunities all in partnership with the Blakenall Traders. Leamore Shopping Centre Switch On; Saturday 10th December 9.00am until 1.00pm in partnership with the Leamore Forum. Carols at the Blakenall Village Centre; from 12 noon for about ¾ hr on Friday 23rd December, Christmas carols, mince pies and hot punch in the atrium. Come along with your best singing voice and join in. This year, Walsall's New Deal will be distributing pedometers to all of the children in the New Deal area through the local schools. More information contact either Andy Bradley or Sally Gamston 01922 712858 If you know of an organisation or individual that would like to receive 'ChTitt - ChTatt' please forward their email address to Andy Bradley on bradleya@walsall.gov.uk or Sally Gamston on gamstons@walsall.gov.uk Walsall's New Deal for Communities, New Deal : New Horizons is registered as a company limited by guarantee with Companies House registration number 04582937 and as a charity with the Charity Commissioners for England and Wales registration number 1098036. 'serving the areas of Blakenall, Bloxwich and Leamore' |
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