Activities to mark the International Day for Disabled People, 3 December 2011

Once again Wiltshire Council together with the Wiltshire and Swindon Users’ Network (WSUN) is promoting a no barriers week.  This year the suggested dates are 3 – 10 December.

The United Nations (UN) theme for 3 December 2011 is “Together for a better world for all: including persons with disabilities in development”. You can find out more about the UN international day by looking on their website, www.un.org .

If you, your organisation or someone you know, is/are taking this opportunity to celebrate achievements or highlight ‘barriers’, please let us know so we can help to promote and coordinate events. In this way we can help organisations work together to make more of no barriers week

If you would like to promote an event or find out what is happening in your area please refer to the following:

1.     Wilts and Swindon User’s Network phone 01380 871800, or for text only 0756 370 7672.  The website will be advertising events from November onwards.

2.     Wiltshire Council “What’s On” pages – if you are advertising an event you should make sure that the event name includes ‘no barriers’ so that it can be easily identified using the search options, by those looking for events.

3.     Email equalities@wiltshire.gov.uk

4.     Tell (or ask) at your local Library

I have attached the green and the violet logos for you to design your own promotional material and maintain the collective ‘branding’.

There is also a page on the council website: http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/council/equalityanddiversity/equalityevents/disabilityequalityevents.htm

Screen Me Film Festival inspiring communities in Wiltshire

The new Screen Me Film Festival project is presented by White Horse Pictures, a project bringing new release film to rural Wiltshire. Screen Me aims to involve communities from across Wiltshire in the programming of films that tell stories. Stories are revealing; they come out of community history and they express the culture of communities. This project has been granted the Inspire Mark by the London 2012 Inspire programme as it offers communities the opportunity to explore the culture of other nations through the films that they make and the stories that they tell.

 

The London 2012 Inspire programme recognises innovative and exceptional projects that are directly inspired by the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Screen Me will present a series of films in venues across Wiltshire that explore themes of journeys and the ways that different cultures tell stories in cinema. The films will come from around the world and tell stories from different cultures and unusual perspectives.

There will be opportunities for groups and individuals to take part in discussions and activities that explore the journeys and storytelling in films as well as viewing the screenings of these inspirational films. 

We are looking for volunteers to get involved in selecting and programming films that tell stories of significance to their community. These ‘programme champions’ will have the opportunity to visit other regional film festivals to find new films and speakers to come back to Wiltshire and be part of the Screen Me film festival.

Screen Me will culminate in March 2012 with a run of films, entirely chosen by the ‘programming champions’. We hope that this mini-festival will include film reviews and interviews as well as trailers for forthcoming presentations and connections with other projects on-going within Wiltshire that explore similar themes.

To launch the festival we are screening Amreeka at the Melksham Assembly Hall on Friday 4^th November at 7pm. Amreeka is the story of Muna, a single mother who leaves the West Bank with her teenage son, with dreams of an exciting future in the promised land of small town Illinois. In America, as her son navigates high school hallways the way he used to move through military checkpoints, the indomitable Muna scrambles together a new life cooking up falafel burgers as well as hamburgers at the local White Castle. We’d love you to join us.

If you are interested in volunteering to get involved in this exciting project or would like to book a free ticket to this screening then please get in touch with us at arts@wiltshire.gov.uk or call 01249 705545.

Need help with Fundraising, Training or Recruiting and Managing Volunteers?

STEP UP is a FREE service providing advice, support and useful resources in these three key areas to Wiltshire voluntary and community organisations. For more information please visit www.stepupwiltshire.org.uk or to book an appointment with an adviser please contact:

For Volunteering: Carol Harrison 01793 420557 or carol@swindonvolunteers.org.uk  

For Training and Workforce Development: Caroline Harris on 07885 283553 or caroline@learningcurve.org.uk  

For Fundraising: Kirsty Haasjes on 01380 729279 or  kirsty@cibwilts.org.uk

 

Are you interested in environmental projects or community owned renewable energy?

Then come along to the Wiltshire World Changers free of charge event on the 19^th November.

The event, hosted by the Wiltshire World Changers Network, will include practical information to take away, guest speakers who identify with the challenges you face, the opportunity to meet other groups with the same ambitions plus the chance to win £200 worth of print.

The event has been designed to be beneficial to all groups regardless of size, structure or ambition.

The day is split into three main themes:

•       Legalities and practicalities of getting a group started

•       Project planning – what to remember, lessons learnt

•       Community Owned Renewable Energy – an overview

Each theme will be supported with tools and resources, practical exercise and an experienced speaker.

19^th November 10am – 3.30pm with lunch, Enford Village Hall, Enford, nr Pewsey. 

Please visit Wiltshire World Changers for more information or to book. Alternatively you can call 01225 756195.