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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. Hot Off the Press - Ipsos MORI Household Survey 2006 Results Walsall's New Deal for Communities has just had its results of the Ipsos MORI Household Survey 2006 which makes for excellent reading. Every two years since 2002, MORI have conducted household surveys (interviewing around 500 residents in the New Deal area) to assess their views on all aspects of community health and well being in the area. The latest results are another improvement on the excellent 2004 outcome. New Deal: New Horizons is out performing the aggregate for all NDC’s in England across a number of important indicators for community health and well being. Examples of which are:-
These are just a few of the examples and a full set of results will be forwarded to you shortly for information. 1. Employment, Skills and Business At the Employment Theme Meeting on Thursday 15th March there will be an "Ideas Harvesting" session to consider future initiatives. All contributions will be welcome. If you can attend please book in with Bob Crundwell or Diane Jones. If you are unable to attend but have a suggestion, please send it in to either Bob or Diane. Work on the Horizon has launched two brand new training courses to help New Deal residents to improve their skills and employment prospects with free training and support. The Skills 4 You course will provide local unemployed people aged 17 and over with training and support to improve their Maths and English as well as working towards NVQ Level 1 or 2 equivalent. The Training 4 Carers course is designed specifically to help local people with care responsibilities who want help to update their key skills. Extra help. Both courses offer a package of additional help, support and options including:
We offer modern, realistic and nationally recognised IT qualifications that will help people in their search for employment which they can do at their own pace. We can also help those returning to the job market who want to learn basic IT skills and boost their CV. Heres a list of the help on offer:
More information contact Bob Crundwell 01922 712858 2. Education & Learning The pace of Education remains brisk in New Deal schools. Following on from the positive school results at Key Stage 2, the GCSE results also show improvement (Key Stage 4) as do the results at Key Stage 3, a good indicator for future GCSE performance. The School Improvement Fund has had a 'mega' round of applications and a meeting of the Steering Group held in January approved nine bids. This leaves only four schools serving the New Deal area still to apply and we know that work is already in hand in one of them. The proposals have mostly been for people, either mentors or classroom assistants, to assist the students with their work. The Steering Group is optimistic that this will be a great help in lifting performance. In two cases schools are planning enrichment activity to give students a greater breadth of experience and subsequent language which should in turn improve their ability to perform at Key Stage 2 next year. (and in an enjoyable way - who said learning is not fun?). The second phase of providing note-book computers for Special schools and for community learning is now under way with orders placed and work on software and input devices taking place. The computers are eagerly awaited in the schools - who reported last year that the arrival of the computers was the highlight of New Deal support! Community Learning through ContinYou and the College of Continuing Education continues to go from strength to strength. At the recent Education Theme meeting in January, Community Learning was reported as making a big impact on the area. We are looking for more success in 2007. Finally, the Data Project is throwing up interesting information which will help our schools and projects to focus their interventions more effectively. As a result of course, even more questions are posed and a further research brief has been agreed for the forthcoming months. Government Data shows that New Deal Schools and Students are constantly improving and this is a trend that we continue to support. The number of adults in the area with qualifications continues to grow, and on all fronts the indicators are good. 2007 is going to be another busy year! More information contact Bob Marsh on 01922 712858 3. Housing and Environment Leamore Local Centre Improvements, the contractors have been appointed for the colonnade, and we receive the Tender for landscape works Friday 9th Feb (with the necessary Indemnity agreements being completed). The Leamore Forum has been involved throughout the development of this project. Blakenall Local Centre, tenders are now out, the location for the Clock feature has been agreed and work is taking place towards development and installation. Permission has been received from Diocesan Advisory Committee (DAC) regarding work to the Church, a petition is currently underway. Work is being carried out to redirect services for the highway junction works programmed and the land transfer for the junction works has been agreed, in principal with Walsall Housing Group. There were five Homebuy Loans given under phase 1. Four have completed and the fifth one is in the process of completion. Work is now underway on the phase two marketing of the scheme. Bellway Homes have now started work on the remaining two sites in Blakenall Heath next to the Blakenall info Centre and opposite Christ Church. This makes a total of 235 new homes for sale under construction More information from Steve Pooni 01922 712858 4. Crime and Community Safety Our current year to date performance sees:
The Early Impact on Crime Project - is currently being evaluated by a company called RHCS and any member of the public may be contacted to give their opinion regarding our performance. More information will follow on this as it becomes available. The Community Wardens Project has been extended for a further 12 months with a review being carried out in the summer to identify the most appropriate way forward and fully taking account of the PCSO's and integrated neighbourhood policing. As far as is possible the same staff will be kept who will work more closely with Police and the new PCSOs. The Rapid Deployment CCTV Project gained approval in December. We are now waiting for the equipment to be delivered. 3 cameras will be used in our New Deal area in areas suffering from high crime and anti-social behaviour and. they will be moved around every 4 - 6 weeks. When cameras are in place we will schedule a media launch with partner agencies. More information contact Inspector Mandy McPhee on 01922 712858 5. Health and Well Being David Wigley has been appointed to conduct the evaluation of the Long Term Conditions Project, and will be working with the steering group. Sue Caulfield has been appointed to the post of Senior Health Promotion Worker and will work one day a week in our area on health promotion campaigns. A Free Health Trainer Service for New Deal Residents has been introduced to help local people get fitter, lose weight and quit smoking. Kelly Hammond has been employed by the Walsall tPCT to support New Deal's Long Term Conditions Programme, to offer motivation and support to people who want to make changes to their lifestyle. Poor diet, lack of exercise and smoking, significantly increase the likelihood of long-term conditions and premature death and this part of Kelly's work is a key ingredient of the Long Term Conditions project. Referral to the service is available through G.P.'s, or indeed, residents can self refer - 01922 444044 The New Deal Board approved the Long Term Conditions - Equipment Provision project, which will complement the Long Term Conditions Project by purchasing a number of items that will be used to help residents manage long term conditions they have and prevent the contraction of disease in the future. Equipment and consumable items to the value of approximately £200,000 have been funded. Complementary Therapy Service
The Complementary Therapy Service has been based at the Blakenall Village Centre since April 2006 and has proved to be very popular exceeding its forecast activity. Sixteen resource packs have been compiled about the complementary therapy service and distributed to all the GP's in our area as well as the three District Nursing teams. Each pack contained referral forms that provide access to the complementary therapy service for cancer patients and their carers. Included in the resource packs were service information leaflets and posters for staff therapy sessions. The resource packs provide all of the necessary information required for referral. Another date for another presentation session is to be set up for later in 2007 if it is required. There are also plans to promote further awareness of the service by means of a road show within the Manor Hospital later in the year. Sports Adults / Unemployed Club Kate Deeley and Rachel Law our Young Leaders, have completed their level 1 and level 2 canoeing certificates. They will now go forward to do their Canoeing instructors course in Summer 2007. 3 Young Leaders and 3 club coaches have completed their Football Association Level 1 coaching certificates. They can now work within the Hat-Trick programme as volunteers. We have also started a Junior Sports Leaders Award with 8 young people. A new evening centre has been set-up on a Monday night at Sneyd School Astro Turf for the Hat-Trick Programme. The project is being run by ourselves and Blakenall Harriers FC to provide community football sessions at non club level with the opportunity to progress to club level. (Creating a community to club link). The Dance Club has now been relocated to Forest Community Centre (it was previously based at the Shelfield Sports College), making it more accessible to our residents. Two evening sessions are running on Wednesday’s 5-6pm (8-12 year olds), 6-7pm (12+) attracting both male and female members. We now have over 20 members attending Bike Club sessions at Leamore Park on Saturday mornings from 10am - 11.45am. The club raised over £80 for Children in Need. 8 young people from Elmore Green Primary School have completed their Canoeing and Outdoor activities - Paddle Power Certificates. Harden Primary has started their paddle power programme with 8 young people working towards their award over the next 6 weeks. Drugs Aftercare Service. This project is being delivered by Addaction has moved into its new base in the Blakenall Village Centre. The project runs a day programme with many activities to help community members who have taken responsibility for their current or past drug use and want to move on. The service is also there to answer questions and concerns from the families, friends and carers of drug users. The achievements of clients accessing the service to date include the following; Client A - has registered at Walsall College and is now working on a qualification. 'A' continues to use our service for support and confidence issues. Client B - after many years of chaotic access into various services this client is making good progress. 'B' is working with various agencies as there are multiple needs. 'B' is now looking at housing needs and future employment options. Client C - has made significant progress. We have linked in with social services with regards to parenting. 'C's children have been removed from the "at risk" register due to the progress ‘C’ has made with extensive changes in attitude and life style. Client D - accessed the service through one of our Outreach Drop Ins. 'D' attended the service to tackle a number of drug related issues and has been successful in reducing use and obtaining a substitute prescription. 'D' has now found full time employment. Client E - has successfully completed an inpatient detox at Dorothy Patterson Hospital and has now moved into residential rehab. We supported 'E' through this, making the necessary links and liaising with Social services and other agencies. 'E' will return to our programme on leaving rehab to support 'E's reintegration into the community. The project runs a volunteers training scheme. Certificates for the first scheme were presented to the volunteers in January 2007. One of the volunteers has already started a new career as a trainee drug worker in Sandwell; the others are continuing with their studies. The second scheme is almost complete and we are now recruiting new volunteers to start in March 2007. The scheme provides community members with the opportunity to learn about a wide range of drug and alcohol treatment services provided in Walsall. Volunteers are also involved in promoting community awareness and involvement in Addaction’s work within the New Deal area. Successful volunteers gain a National Open College Network Accredited Certificate in drug and alcohol awareness and an Addaction Certificate. Practical work experience is within the different services offered by Addaction Walsall. For more information on the Day Programme or the Volunteer scheme, drop into our office at the Blakenall Village Centre or call Addaction on 01922 714964. 'What's Growing On' Young Persons Sexual Health Project. This has commenced, with the initial planning and development work taking place in primary schools. Three schools have currently signed up - Christchurch CE, Harden JMI, Bloxwich CE. The schools will be involved in the first round of project delivery; with artists working in the schools with pupils in years 5 & 6. Workshops in schools have been running since January '07. Walsall Pregnancy Help sexual health counselling sessions have commenced, and are being delivered from the following venues, until the new build (Young Persons Information Centre) is complete:
The sessions address issues of concern for young people, in particular, concerns around issues of self-harming, depression, anxiety and emotional support. Sam Curry the new Sure Start Plus Support Worker has been in post since December 2006 and is building her case load. Sarah Lindsey the Project Manager for Teenage Pregnancy in the New Deal area has been in post since January 2007. The Teenage Pregnancy Team has the following staff:
For more information regarding this project please contact the team at the Blakenall Village Centre, or call 01922 443940. More information contact Harjinder Singh 01922 712858 6. Community Empowerment Children in Need 2006 was a very successful event. Particular thanks go to New Deal residents whose generous donations raised a total of £1700. Board Members travelled to the Mailbox in Birmingham to present the cheque - you may have seen them on BBC1 during the broadcast on Friday 17th November. Patch Elections 2006 are now done and dusted with residents Marc Ali and Brian Coney elected onto the New Deal Board. Brian is representing Patch 23 and Marc Patch 6. The Board Development and Promotions Sub Committee has been looking at examples of community notice boards. The idea of notice boards has been brought to us to serve as a communication tool to relay information directly into the community. We have been working with Gareth Jennings and Bill Smith (Traders Stakeholder Representative on the Board) to set up a Community Fishing Club within the area. It will be open to people who are interested in fishing who live in our area. A meeting is being organised with people who have registered their interest. 6 Board Members attended the National Urban Forum - Mission is Possible Conference in Birmingham in December. The Conference was concerned with the future of urban society and what shape it might take. Mission is Possible looked to the future, with positive debates, practical workshops and illuminating visits that pointed towards a coherent and fully functioning relationship between the sector and the state and the wider society we live in. Overall the conference was useful and interesting and the workshops very valuable. The Resident Directors thoroughly enjoyed the experience of meeting new people and listening to new ideas. The first Mentoring sessions for the new Resident Directors took place in January. Our Vice Chair Doug Gill is mentoring Brian Coney and Mick Taylor (Chair of Education Theme) being the mentor for Marc Ali. The meeting enable existing Board members to share their experiences, both good & bad with the new board members. It was agreed that support would be offered prior to Board meetings and there would be regular "get together" meetings over the next 12 months. The Accorn fund panel recently met to view a number of new applications and to oversee monitoring & closure of some old projects. The following organisation has been successful in obtaining funding;
The Heath End Blakenall Rivers Association (HEBRA) met on 6th February. Information relating to the Young People's information Centre (YPiC) was presented. The Lancaster Place Residents Association meeting was attended by local Councillors who have provided valuable support to the Association. There was discussion about car park bays, grit bins and a wall that is due to be refurbished to combat anti-social behaviour. Local resident's addresses were requested to allow information about activities for young people to be regularly mailed. The Gypsy & Travellers Forum Christmas party was well attended with approximately 70 children / young people attending. Thank you to the volunteers who made it happen and an even bigger thank you to Charlie Robertson aka Santa Claus. The Compact is a borough wide document that provides a set of ground rules for how the Voluntary & Community Sector (VCS) and local statutory services can work together for the mutual benefit of all the local communities in Walsall. An action plan has now been completed which will push New Deal forward into becoming Compact Compliant. New Deal staff and board will be working towards achieving the National Compact Plus Award. Community Cash is a Walsall's New Deal scheme which aims to bring our communities closer to the decision-making process of the distribution of a small budget. The Pauline Merrick Memorial Youth Fund project is now being finalised. The team is working with the Young Person's Council to ensure that the fund is reflective of what young people want. There are a range of elements to the fund;
In March young people are meeting with Theme Leaders to discuss New Deal's Themes and projects, and in April they will be embarking on training to develop an Action Plan. They are also considering holding an event in the summer, so they are going to be busy! - we hope they enjoy being involved. The Hardens Parents Association has finished painting and decorating their office at the school and has submitted a story for the next 'ChTatter'. Now, they are busy taking Sports Leadership training and will shortly be putting on sporting activities at the school. The Little Bloxwich Xtra Project has been successful in getting Community Cash to provide 'wacky workshops' for the children, which will include a story teller and lots of fun activities. The Leamore Forum meets regularly, supported by the New Deal team. The main issues raised tend to be around criminal activity and the rise in anti-social behaviour. The group are interested in the Leamore Park developments and were positive about the development of the Young People's info Centre. The Parents Chefs Special has come to an end and was very successful. Parents felt that they learnt a lot about food and cooking as well as budgeting skills. People that attended are now looking at doing a Food & Hygiene course. We are reviewing the project and will then look to running it again. This Chef's Special project now runs for 6 weeks with different groups of young people. Young people cook a range of meals including desserts and there is an opportunity to complete Youth Achievement Awards or Youth Challenge Awards. The youth team in partnership with Walsall Youth Service, the Police, Community Wardens and Blakenall Community Association are working together to get to those young people who do not access any youth services. This 'Detached' team goes out during the day and evening to meet young people who are not in education, employment or training. The third edition of 'Youth ChTatt' has been published with more young people becoming involved. Feedback from the magazine has been positive and a group of young people are part of the editorial board. The Chill Chat Café takes place on Thursday evenings from 5.30pm - 7.30pm at the Blakenall Village Centre restaurant. This 'drop in' is an opportunity for the youth team to talk with young people in an informal setting and for young people to meet new friends, listen to music and have a chat. There is also a sexual health worker who comes along, to offer counselling, condom distribution and pregnancy testing. Dance is now held at Forest Arts Centre on a Wednesday evening. The 8 - 12 year old session is at 5.00pm - 6.00pm and the 12+ session at 5.00pm - 6.00pm The dancers are performing at an 'X Factor' competition this month which is organised by NACRO. The Young person's council and youth forums continue to meet every 6 and 3 weeks respectively. There are a number of new young people attending who are moving the Council forward. They will play an important part in the Young People's information Centre and the Pauline Merrick Memorial Fund. Two representatives sit on the New Deal Board and are able to directly influence decision making. The forum meets every 6 weeks where the young people discuss issues that are then passed onto the young person's council. Young people from the forum also attend swimming classes every 3 weeks. Neighbourhood Nature's plans are underway to help residents of Rivers House improve their grounds through a gardening project. Residents ideas have been collected through a consultation and plans are now being developed to provide a quality outdoor space for all to enjoy. Elmore Green Primary, Bloxwich may only have been a member of eco-schools for a few short months but already they have achieved the Bronze award in the eco-schools programme. Progress is now well underway into achieving the silver so well done to Elmore Green and watch this space... Green Rock Primary will be the first school to take advantage of the in-school ecology support service run by Neighbourhood Nature that assists teachers in making the most out of the environment in the National Curriculum. Plenty of bug hunting, nature detecting, investigations, resources and games are on offer in supporting schools in getting more out of environmental study. More information contact Michelle Parry 01922 711228 Communications Diary Dates 'ChTatter' edition 24 is currently being prepared for print with distribution taking place early March. The time line for the following edition, number 25 is 7th May with distribution early June. 'ChTitt - ChTatt' is now a bi monthly publication, the deadline for the 28th edition is the last Thursday of the month, 22nd March 12 noon. Forthcoming Events being organised by Walsall's New Deal are:-
For more information please contact the Walsall's New Deal Communications Team on 01922 712858 or speak to a member of the Friends of Leamore Park "celebrating our communities together" Walsall's New Deal working partnership with the Friends of Leamore Park For more information or if you can help at any of the above events or your organisation would like to get involved please give Sally a call on 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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