Guidance to meet challenges of rural areas published

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has published its National Rural Proofing Guidelines. For people living and working in rural areas there can be challenges and barriers for their businesses, the services they receive and their quality of life.

The rural proofing guidelines help policy makers to minimise such challenges including:

Economic

•     Lack of access to markets due to distance & costs
•     Lack of fast internet
•     Variable mobile phone services
•     Lack of access to business skills development & training opportunities
•     Lack of access to research & development
•     Lack of access to finance

Access to services

•     Public transport can be limited (only 42% of households in the most rural areas have a regular bus)
•     GP surgeries (21% of rural households have to go 2.5 miles or more) & other health services can be several miles away
•     There are disproportionately more older people (the average age is 6 years older than in urban areas), with associated demands on health services
•     Demand for health services is growing
•     Health, waste collection and other services can be more difficult and costly to provide

Quality of life

•     [Nationally] Over 1.3m people live in poverty but are spread across small pockets of deprivation which can make them difficult to identify and help
•     Household incomes can be lower due to part time or seasonal working
•     The Job Centre can be many miles away, and lack of public transport makes it difficult for the unemployed to access new jobs
•     Disproportionately more households are in fuel poverty
•     Two in five homes are off the gas grid and many will depend on more expensive fuel
•     House prices tend to be higher in rural areas (on average £19,000 more than in urban areas)

Article courtesy of RAISE e-bulletin

Communities full of confidence after CCB Training Day

Delegates networking and discussing shared issues over a yummy lunch.

Last Saturday (18th May) volunteers and community minded folk from across Berkshire came together to learn how they can use a series of tools to build confidence and enhance their community.

CCB ran a free training day of workshops at Theale Green Community School which offered help, advice and support to Parish Councillors, Community Planning Groups and individuals wanting to get more involved in projects in their communities. 

Tim Parry CCB's Chief Operating Officer said: "There was a really positive and friendly feel to the day. I was pleased to see members of communities from West Berkshire, Reading, Maidenhead and even from across the border in Surrey and Hampshire come together to discuss their projects, common issues and ideas for the future. Supporting communities is at the very heart of CCB's work and we are grateful to the NLDC* fund and the Berkshire Neighbourhood Learning Centre Partnership for funding such an interesting and important subject."

Helen Dean, Projects Worker and Tim Parry, Chief Operating Officer offered delegates a warm welcome on arrival

The training kicked off at 10:30 with attendees having a choice of three workshops to attend over the course of the day. Workshop topics included Neighbourhood Planning, the A-Z of Volunteer Recruitment, Community Rights, Marketing and Press Release writing, Project Management,  Funding Advice and more.

David Gregory who attended from Burghfield Community Partnership said: "The day was fantastic, well paced and with a good choice of subjects - each with just the right amount of depth and time. Not only have the workshops been great but through networking on the day I  met someone who can help with an issue that I have been working to solve for over a year now."

Introduction by Tim Parry, Chief Operating Officer. Graham Pask the new portfolio holder for Community Led Plans at West Berkshire Council also used the opportunity to introduce himself to delegates

Other feedback showed that attendees felt that they gained useful skills that would help them to promote and build their projects, obtain funding, recruit new volunteers and improve their marketing and contacts. 

One attendee commented: "This training day has reassured me that my community are moving in the right direction", with another stating: "It was worth giving up my Saturday for, I found the day inspiring and informative."

CCB would like to thank the following people for giving up their time to come and run or assist with workshops on the day:
Garry Poulson, Head of the Volunteer Centre West Berkshire
Jason Teal, Performance Research and Consultation Manager, West Berkshire Council
Bob Lyon, Frilsham's Future Community Planning Group
Sue Curtis Davison, Marketing Consultant
Yvonne Redgrave
Richard Foster
Peter McManners, West Berkshire Green Exchange
George Greenham, Hampstead Norrey's Community Plan

L: Wendy Dacey, Community Building Advisor ran two informative and well attended workshops on Funding for Communities and R: Sue Curtis Davison, Marketing Consultant ran a highly praised workshop on Marketing & Promoting Your Project

*Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities fund. The fund comes from the Skills Funding Agency, administered by Reading Borough Council on behalf of the Berkshire Neighbourhood Learning Centres Partnership (BNLCP).

Take part in the Co-operatives Fortnight film

 

 Take part in the Co-operatives Fortnight film

To help celebrate Co-operatives Fortnight, 22 June to 6 July, and to promote the work that co-operatives do, Co-operatives Fortnight are producing a collaboratively made film.

The idea is simple – they are asking co-operatives throughout the county to take a little time to film what they do and what they think of co-operatives.

These short pieces of video will be edited together to make the finished product which will be released during Co-operatives Fortnight. It will be a truly co-operative film from start to finish.

You can watch a short explanatory film  and sign up to be part of this fun film here.

New Job Opportunity at Volunteer Centre West Berkshire

Newbury Resolution Panel Co-ordinator

Volunteer Centre West Berkshire

15 hours per week

£25,000 pa pro rata

Restorative Justice plays a key part in the resolution of neighbourhood crimes. Volunteers are now trained to facilitate the resolution of low level crimes in Newbury.

The Safer Communities Partnership has recently awarded a contract to Volunteer Centre West Berkshire to oversee and manage a Co-ordinator based at offices within the town centre.
The ideal candidate will have an interest in and possibly experience of the criminal justice system, value the role that volunteers play in this area and have first class people skills at all levels along with good time management, IT and presentational experience.

Own car essential. Applicants should apply enclosing a CV and covering letter and sent to info@vcwb.org.uk at G Poulson by 9 am on 10th June. Interviews will be held on
Friday 21st June in Newbury. Additional information including a role description is available upon request via email in the first instance.

Community Cinema Success

Chieveley Cinema Club hosted a training event in April which 31 people from 12 halls attended. The hall was laid out as it would be for a cinema evening which is usually held on the first Tuesday of the month.

Delegates were welcomed by the cinema club committee who explained how the club was set up and how it is run. Following a cinema club event run by CCB in Kintbury in 2011, the residents of Chieveley decided to establish their own and with £5,000 Parish Plan grant and funds from the village hall, the equipment was purchased. With help from the British federation of Film Societies (BFFS) a trail run showing Slum Dog Millionaire took place and in February 2012 a club with 50 members was established. Members pay £40 a year which entitles them to see 10 films and attend a social event in December. Non members pay £6 per film. The committee meets twice a year to choose the films to show and each member has their own role - projectionist, treasurer, front of house, publicity, refreshments etc.

The hall has a Premises Licence (with the ability to show films) PRS and PPL, full public liability insurance and insurance for the storage and movement of equipment. FilmBank is used to choose films from their catalogues which usually costs about £100 per screening.
 
Delegates were shown a clip from a film to show how the projection and sound surround worked and a stills video was shown as to how the hall is set up and cleared away on film night.

The evening was judged to be a great success and thanks to the film club committee for hosting it and providing refreshments. There are about 8 film clubs in West Berkshire and North Hampshire – further details can be obtained from Wendy.Dacey@ccberks.org.uk

 

Awards for All Webinar: New Date!

Would you like to know more about the Big Lottery Fund’s Awards for All programme? Awards for All is a small grants funding programme with awards between £300 and £10,000 open to voluntary and community organisations.

The South East regional team, in partnership with CCB, is running a FREE webinar training session on the Awards for All programme and invites representatives from small voluntary and community (V&C)groups to take part. The session will be delivered by South East Regional Development Officers Pat Cook and will last about one and a half hours.

The session will take place from 10:30 - 12:00 pm on Thursday 30th May 2013

To book a place please contact Gemma.Pearce@ccberks.org.uk

We hope that by taking part -

• Frontline Voluntary & Community groups will have a better understanding of the Big Lottery Fund, and of the current funding environment. 
• Frontline V & C groups will have an increased understanding of the Awards for All programme and how to strengthen their applications.
• Frontline groups V & C will have increased confidence to apply to Awards for All

Webinars

The training sessions will be delivered via web based training known as a webinar, facilitated by CCB.
Webinars are interactive seminars run over the internet. You will require access to a PC or laptop with an internet connection, headphones and a microphone (optional)
Webinars are funded by Adult Community Learning, West Berkshire Council

Small Charity Week

Don't Forget Small Charity Week 2013

17th - 22nd June 2013

Small Charity Week celebrates and raises awareness of the essential work of the UK’s small charity sector who make an invaluable contribution to the lives of millions of individuals, communities and causes across the UK and the rest of the world.

Small Charity Week is brought to you by the Foundation for Social Improvement (FSI), who with the support of partner organisations ensure the work of small charities is recognised and celebrated.

http://smallcharityweek.com/#_blank